New Report From the CDC Shows Wisconsin Children Are Behind Other States in Getting Vaccines

Friday, October 18th, 2024 -- 9:01 AM

A new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows Wisconsin children are behind other states in getting vaccines, leaving children and communities vulnerable to outbreaks.

Using data from the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS), the CDC compared the vaccination rates of kindergarteners for the 2023-2024 school year to data from other states and found Wisconsin children are behind on important childhood vaccines including polio, pertussis, diphtheria and tetanus (DTaP), and measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR).

Most notably, the report shows only 84.8% of Wisconsin kindergarteners were up to date on their MMR vaccine, while nationally 92.7% of children have received the MMR vaccine.

As a result of that decline, diseases like measles and pertussis have increased across the U.S. in recent years. DHS monitors vaccination rates to identify areas that may be at most risk for the spread of communicable diseases, which can impact the health of people statewide.

Vaccines are available statewide at doctor's offices, clinics, pharmacies, and health departments. DHS supports Wisconsin communities and residents who do not have health insurance or whose insurance may not cover vaccines to make sure people can access them through grant programs and the Vaccines for Children or Vaccines for Adults programs.

Information about the recommended vaccines for children and teens can be found on the DHS website. The Wisconsin Immunization Registry (WIR) lets families see if they're up-to-date on their vaccines and which shots they may still need.

Instructions are available in English, Spanish, and Hmong. They can also find their vaccine status by contacting their doctor's office or local health department.

Feel free to contact us with questions and/or comments.